OUR ALUMNI

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Where are they now?

  • Dustin Bassett, DO

    • Class of 2015

    • Current Job Position: Family Practice Attending at Kaiser Carlsbad

    • Life changes since residency: Since graduation my wife and I have bought a home, dog, 3 kids and traveled the globe

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: Loved being able to shape the curriculum combined with knowledgeable and approachable attendings. The experience is unparalleled

  • Jodi Berzak-Wolf, DO

    • Class of 2015

    • Current Job Position: Faculty Physician

    • Institution and Location: Kaiser San Diego

    • Areas of focus: Prenatal care, Pediatrics , Breastfeeding

    • Life changes since residency: Have had 2 babies and became certified in lactation

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: The people!

  • Aaron Edelstein, MD

    • Class of 2015

    • Current Job Position: Kaiser Permanente Physician, Otay Mesa

    • Areas of focus: Family Medicine and Urgent Care

    • Life changes since residency: Marriage, had a daughter, health care team leader

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: Freedom to explore our passions and focus on balancing intensive learning environment with wellbeing

  • Radeeb Akhtar, MD

    • Class of 2016

    • Current Job Position: Program Director

    • Institution: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Program in NYC

    • Areas of focus: Family and Community Medicine, Healthcare Equity, Social Justice, LGBTQ+ Health, Office-based Procedures, Healthcare systems, Health Policy

  • Hailee Van, MD

    • Class of 2016

    • Current Job Position: Urgent Care Physician

    • Institution and Location: Kaiser Permanente, Orange County

    • Areas of focus: Urgent Care

    • Life changes since residency: Marriage, 2 kids, became a homeowner

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: The amazing support from the faculty and staff, strong focus on our education, medical missions and volunteer opportunities, diverse patient population

  • Nichole Hansen-Cruz, MD

    • Class of 2018

    • Current Job Position: KPSDFMR physician and faculty

    • Institution and Location: Kaiser Permanente, Clairemont

    • Areas of focus: Women's health, global and wilderness medicine, advocacy

    • Life changes since residency: soon to be 2 kids

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: the camaraderie of my class and peers, and you can't beat San Diego!

  • Brandan Mayer-Blackewell, MD

    • Class of 2019

    • Current Job Position: Full Time outpatient MD

    • Institution and Location: Kaiser Permanente, San Diego

    • Areas of focus: Sports Medicine

    • Life changes since residency: Had my 16 month old daughter

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: My co-residents

  • Phuong Tran, MD

    • Class of 2019

    • Current Job Position: Family Medicine Physician

    • Institution and Location: Family Health Centers of San Diego

    • Areas of focus (if applicable): Adults, family planning, pediatrics

    • Life changes since residency: I became a homeowner, met my life partner James, and we became dog parents! Ran my first marathon in 2022 at the San Diego Rock and Roll! It was awesome. James and I are getting married this August, 2022 and we are very excited! Life's been good.

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: supportive environment, great faculty mentors, focus on resident education

  • Leor Krichilsky, MD

    • Class of 2020

    • Current Job Position: Family Medicine Physician

    • Institution and Location: Kaiser Permanente, San Diego

    • Areas of focus: Family Medicine, Faculty development

    • Life changes since residency: Moved to Seattle for a year then back to San Diego, got engaged!

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: KPSD really values work-life balance. Our faculty encourages us to take time for ourselves outside of work and I truly believe this makes for better physicians. I am still extremely close to my residency class today!

  • Ruth Goodson, MD

    • Class of 2021

    • Current Job Position: Palliative Care Physician

    • Institution and Location: Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego CA

    • Areas of focus: Palliative care, women's health, telemedicine, efficiency

    • Life changes since residency: I completed my fellowship here in San Diego at UCSD/Scripps after residency and am excited to be starting my attending position in the fall! I also now live somewhere with a pickleball court available at all times, which is amazing.

    • What you loved about KPSDFMR: I loved the people most of all! Residency really did feel like a family and the faculty and co-residents were super down to earth, hardworking, and adventurous. I also loved the 1:1 teaching with experts in their field - such an amazing education!

  • Vikash Pernenkil, MD

    • Class of 2022

    • Current Job Position: Primary Care and Hospital Medicine

    • Institution and Location: Kaiser Permanente, La Mesa Clinic

    • Life changes since residency: NA, residency just finished!

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: Amazing bond between residents and faculty, outstanding learning environment, good work life balance

  • Jacqueline Stritz, MD

    • Class of 2022

    • Current Job Position: Family Medicine Physician

    • Institution and Location: Baylor Scott & White Health in Buda, Texas

    • Areas of focus: Outpatient primary care

    • Life changes since residency: Moving to a new state!

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: My co-residents and faculty became my family away from home. I loved hanging out with everyone at work and outside of work. The training was excellent and made me feel very prepared when graduating.

  • Shelly Blanc, DO

    • Class of 2022

    • Current Job Position: Family Medicine Physician

    • Institution and Location: Capstone Clinic, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

    • Areas of focus: Outpatient primary care with some urgent care

    • Life changes since residency: exploring new cold-weather hobbies such as cross-country skiing and ice fishing!

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: cohesive group of co-residents, great access to specialists, lots of electives

  • Jeff Wasson, DO

    • Class of 2022

    • Current Job Position: Family Medicine Physician

    • Institution and Location: Capstone Clinic, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

    • Areas of focus: Outpatient primary care with some urgent care

    • Life changes since residency: lots of fishing and traveling the state of Alaska

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: global medicine trips, supportive attendings, excellent preparation for an outpatient practice

  • Alaina Martinez, MD

    • Class of 2023

    • Current Job Position: Addiction Medicine Fellow

    • Institution and Location: University of Arizona – Tucson

    • Areas of focus: Addiction Medicine

    • Life changes since residency: My childhood cat will be turning 20 years old this year! So glad he’s moving back home to Tucson with us.

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: The community! I’m so grateful to be friends with the people we work with so closely day to day. I’m proud of our training and the community we foster.

  • Amber Plant, MD

    • Class of 2023

    • Current Job Position: Family Medicine Physician

    • Institution and Location: Kaiser Permanente Oakland

    • Areas of focus: Outpatient primary care

    • Life changes since residency: Moving back to the Bay Area (home)! Traveling to the Wast Coast, Asia and Europe with my husband in my 3 months off!

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: High quality training, amazing co-residents and faculty, and a balanced lifestyle

  • Miles Viseur, MD

    • Class of 2023

    • Current Job Position: Family Medicine Physician

    • Institution and Location: Kaiser Permanente, Parker CO

    • Areas of focus: Outpatient primary care

    • Life changes since residency: Traveling the coast of California in our camper trailer and moving back to Denver!

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: The close faculty support, the integrated system, and surfing with fellow residents!

  • Stephanie Posadas, DO

    • Class of 2023

    • Current Job Position: Family Medicine Physician

    • Institution and Location: Scripps Coastal, San Marcos

    • Areas of focus: Outpatient primary care

    • Life changes since residency: Traveling to Hawaii and South of France before starting my new job!

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: My favorite part about KPSDFMR were the people. We had such supportive and fun faculty, amazing nursing staff, and the most incredible coresidents. We are all one big happy family, and I will miss everyone so much!

  • Jonathan Barboza, MD

    • Class of 2023

    • Current Job Position: Family Medicine Physician

    • Institution and Location: Kaiser Permanente, Otay Mesa

    • Areas of focus: Outpatient primary care

    • Life changes since residency: No major changes! Will be spending time with wife and 3 kids this summer!

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: good company/great people/supportive group (residents and mentors).

  • Rachelle Sawyer, MD

    • Class of 2023

    • Current Job Position: Family Medicine Physician

    • Institution and Location: UCSD Pacific Highlands Ranch clinic

    • Areas of focus: Outpatient primary care with a focus on Lifestyle Medicine

    • Life changes since residency: planning to travel with family (Hawaii, Tahoe, Lake Nacimiento) and start Obesity Medicine training alongside clinical work

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: the people--both the amazing faculty and the residents. From our faculty gifting baby gear and sharing parenting advice, to our countless resident girls' nights and happy hours, this program truly is a family who cares about and shows up for each other. From a clinical standpoint, I am proud of the excellent training I received. I loved being able to tailor my educational experience to fit my career goals and having the PD and faculty's support in starting a new Lifestyle Medicine track.

  • Edwin Molina, MD

    • Class of 2024

    • Current Job Position: Family Medicine Physician

    • Institution and Location: KP Otay Mesa

    • Areas of focus: General family medicine

    • Life changes since residency: Travel

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: the people, the mentors, nurturing environment

  • Pareena Kaur, MD

    • Class of 2024

    • Current Job Position: Still exploring to find the best opportunity for me!

    • Institution and Location: Stay tuned!

    • Areas of focus: Lifestyle and Preventive Medicine

    • Life changes since residency: Relaxing and enjoying the freedom to pave my own path from here on out!

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: Hands down it would be the people who have been there for me every step of the way from interview day to graduation! Special shoutout to Dr. Fuchs and Dr. Andrade for giving me the opportunities to explore my various interests -- whether it was health policy, global health, or medical journalism – I couldn’t have done it without their enthusiasm and support! And can’t forget to thank Lori without whom none of this would be possible! This list is not all inclusive, there are SO many more names I want to mention but then we’d be here all day…

  • Sarah Herrera, MD

    • Class of 2024

    • Current Job Position: Community Medicine Fellow

    • Institution and Location: KP San Diego

    • Areas of focus: Community Medicine

    • Life changes since residency: Starting right away July 1, 2024

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: the other residents and faculty, the flexibility of the program, and the global health trips

  • Julia Strother, MD

    • Class of 2024

    • Current Job Position: Family Medicine Physician

    • Institution and Location: Kaiser Permanente San Diego

    • Areas of focus: Urgent Care

    • Life changes since residency: I’m so excited to take 3+ months off and do some traveling with my boyfriend! We will be doing a road trip up the west coast to Oregon, attending 50,000 weddings 😊, and ending the summer with a Europe trip to Spain, France and Germany!

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: The people! My co-residents and the faculty were all so supportive and like an extended family. Also, the balanced lifestyle during residency was amazing. There was always something fun going on outside work and I loved surfing with my co-residents, attendings and alumni on the weekends!

  • Sonia Germain, MD

    • Class of 2024

    • Current Job Position: Faculty in the Family Medicine Program

    • Institution and Location: SUNY Upstate, Syracuse NY

    • Areas of focus: Women’s health, GAHT, Pediatrics, Lifestyle Medicine, Preventative Medicine

    • Life changes since residency: Moving cross country with my husband and two cats and planning for our baby girl to arrive in August before starting my new job! We just bought a house down the street from my parents so will have a lot of fun family gatherings this summer.

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: My co-residents!!! Truly a family here, I love everyone so much and have made life long friends ❤ My training was also excellent and I feel ready to practice and teach future residents! The weather isn’t too shabby either 😉

  • Melissa Greenblatt, MD

    • Class of 2024

    • Current Job Position: Integrative Medicine Fellowship

    • Institution and Location: University of Michigan

    • Areas of focus: Integrative/lifestyle medicine, particularly functional disorders, chronic pain, women’s health and overall making the field more accessible

    • Life changes since residency: moving to Michigan and finally living with my Fiancé. Getting married!

    • What you loved most about KPSDFMR: the people, both the faculty and co residents - everyone felt like one big family, and I know we will be friends for a lifetime. The training was wonderful and the program struck such a wonderful balance between working hard and enabling us to enjoy San Diego/free time!